How parental influence assures start-up success for first-time founders: German evidence

The aim of the paper is to explore the influence of parents on the development of traits and skills important for first-time entrepreneurs in Germany in order to evaluate how this parental influence affects the success of the entrepreneur. Mixed methodology was used for data collection and analysis – in-depth interviews with 20 first-time founders of German start-ups, and a survey questionnaire completed by 401 participants. Two hypotheses were tested, which related to personal traits for start-up founder success and to professional characteristics; in each case, the entrepreneurs provided a general ranking of characteristics, followed by a ranking of parental influence on the same traits.

Our findings suggest that while parental influence might significantly shape their children's approach to entrepreneurship, its direct impact on business success is not conclusively evident. The results imply that educational bodies, policymakers, and practitioners in the entrepreneurial ecosystem could utilize these insights to better tailor support for start-up founders, e.g., creating specialized education programs or mentorship opportunities emphasizing the beneficial aspects of parental influence.